Improvement in chairs



D. L. AKERS.

l Chairs.

No. 133,555. Pamnted nec. 3,1872.

@www (C /f UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL L. AKEEs, or EvANsvILLE, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CHAIRS.

l Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 133,555. dated December 3, 187i `following is a specification:

This invention relates to the construction of what are termed knock-down chairs, or chairs which are shipped or transported in pieces and put together after reaching their destination; and it consists in the mode of securing the seat to the chair-frame, as here inafter described.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l represents an elevation of a chair with the seat secured according to my invention; and Fig.

2 is a horizontal section of Fig. 1 taken onthe line w a".

Similar letters of reference indica te corresponding parts.

A A represent the back posts; B B, thefront legs. C is the seat or bottom, and D represents the stretchers or rounds.

Chairs of a similar description are manufactured in large numbers at points where timber, labor, and motive power are cheaply obtained, and.. shipped to different parts of the country before they are put together.

In this particular description of chair (the hand-plaitedbottom chair) the bottom has been usually attached to and supported by the rounds or stretchers D, which renders it necessary to complete 'the chair, which made it too bulky for shipment; consequently, the use of the cheapest, easiest, and most durable chair known has been confined to the particular locality where it was manufactured. The

.Y difficulty has been with the seat, and to connect it durably with the frame. r

'.lo overcome this difficulty I make the seat separate,.and attach it to the frame of the chair by means of gains in the two back posts and in the two front legs. The bottom is supported by these gains, and when the chair is put together with glue or is otherwise fastened the bottom is secured. and supported in a most substantial manner.

E represents the gaius, which are made by boring into the posts 'and legs with a bit, and

squaring ay portion of each hole with a chisel to admit the corners of the seat-frame, as seen in Fig. 2. By constructing the parts of the chair in this manner, I am enabled to put them `up in compact and separate packages for transportation to any section of the country.

I am aware that the following modes of constructing a knock-down or transportable chair have been adopted and are .already known to the public: The Bingham chair has the seat-frame stretchers that connect front and rear legs slightly tapered at the end, and entering mortises of said legs, while the cross stretchers rest against shoulders, one on the leg and the other 011 a longitudinal stretcher. rIhis requires a tie-strap for each leg, in order to hold the seat to frame. With these tiestraps I am ableV to dispense entirely by my construction. The Lon gchair has 'straight mortises extending entirely through the legs. As it does not hold the seat tightly, this construction requires a screw to each leg, and is very objectionable on account of the weaken` ing effect upon the legs and the liability of splitting, which it superinduces. My construction enables me to avoid entirely the use of screws,.rivets, or anything analogous. The McMillen chair has the seat made fast to front legs, and is therefore inferior to either of the 

